Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum > HAVE MOC WILL TRAVEL > Internet & Cell Phones
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 08-03-2007, 07:19 PM   #1
traveltunes
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: travel
Posts: 146
M.O.C. #6877
I was wondering why giant sat dish on roof?

Hello everyone,
I was just wondering why all these RV's have giant Data Storm dishes on their roof for high speed internet. Most of us have laptops don't we? All I have to do is plug it in the wireless card slot on the laptop and in within a few seconds we are connected. Most modern and updated RV parks have wireless internet right? I have a Verizon Broadband aircard for backup or while I'm in transit and it's wonderful. The DW usually looks up things and navigates while I do the driving. Mostly I just use the park wi-fi connection when we are parked for a period of time.. I was wondering if these people that have these GIANT dishes on their roofs just don't know you can get internet with something as small as two fingers put together, also you can use mine while driving down the road. I am just guessing that you probably can't use the Data Storms while driving, can you? My service only costs us $59.95 a month and it works everywhere, even when we go through tunnels. We love it! Here is a picture of what I have. Thanks for any info.
 
traveltunes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-03-2007, 08:56 PM   #2
bsmeaton
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Lone Tree
Posts: 5,615
M.O.C. #6109
Those giant dishes are direct links to the satellites.

Pull out your Verizon coverage area map. See all those place with NO service. Those are the places where only the GIANT dishes are talkin and you and I are using our laptops with aircards as placemats.

bsmeaton is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-03-2007, 09:11 PM   #3
DONnANNIE
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Liberty Lake
Posts: 2,310
M.O.C. #6088
Send a message via AIM to DONnANNIE Send a message via Yahoo to DONnANNIE
As soon as we move out of our stick house at the end of this month, I'm going to order Verizon Broadband. Several MOC members have it and have said that they get coverage about 95% of the time all over the country.

I plan to get the wireless router for the 5er with an outside antenna and a mag mount antenna for the TV. That way I can use the Broadband Aircard in the laptop in the TV and in the router in the 5er.

Are you happy with your Aircard and coverage?

DONnANNIE is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2007, 02:32 AM   #4
adelmoll
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Silver Springs
Posts: 2,873
M.O.C. #2716
Not long ago, the Data Storm was the only way to be sure of internet and with just pushing a few buttons you could find the signal. I have used the Verizon air card for close to three years now and when I first got it there were many places that it didn't work. Today it is much different and we love ours. The biggest problem with having the dish on the top of your coach is that you can not be parked under the trees and get a clear signal.

Helen
adelmoll is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2007, 03:48 AM   #5
Glenn and Lorraine
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Clearwater
Posts: 10,917
M.O.C. #420
I have and swear by the Verizon Aircard. I have used the aircard for 4 years of traveling across the US. Four years ago coverage was good but not great. Today coverage is still not 100%. While in the Rockies I was unable to get a signal at one CG but than again we didn't have TV either. In that same CG we were under trees so no roof mounted satellite would work either and we were too close to the mountain for a portable satellite to see the satellites.
Using my aircard, with a router, Lorraine and I have logged many many hours, both while sitting still and on the road, on our 2 laptops. You can see this by the many many posts/replies I make on the MOC and Lorraine spends hours on Pogo and also does all our banking online.
Yes, the dish will pick up TV stations, if it can see the satellite. When the CG has no cable and very limited antenna reception, if need be, I can always fall back on the DVDs. Well if I can ever figure out the DVDs sound system that is.
Give me the Verizon Aircard any day over some extremely high priced Data Storm. Especially so if it's mounted on the roof.
Glenn and Lorraine is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2007, 04:40 AM   #6
txkrumm
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Livingston
Posts: 575
M.O.C. #5920
We used our Motorola Razor phone as a modem and for internet access with Verizon. It worked awesome; no complaints whatsoever while out here in CA. The other good news is that in larger cities, it is lightning fast; all broadband high speed internet. Very happy...
t
txkrumm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2007, 06:36 AM   #7
simonsrf
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Pagosa Springs
Posts: 3,711
M.O.C. #3120
Traveltunes,

We use our Hughesnet satellite antenna dish for internet in remote locations. We do not use the roof-mount version, but the tripod-dish.

Typically, when boondocked, we are not close enough to a cellular tower to get a signal. We have also found the Wifi spots to be poor quality and sometimes not working. The aircard is a good tool for when you can get a signal, but we cannot always get a signal where we want to camp. We choose our locations carefully....and we NOW have 150 feet of coax.

The tripod dish can be a pain at first, but after some time, we can set it up in about 15 minutes...and we always have a signal if we can see the Southeastern sky. Only once in the last year we have not been able to get our internet service from our dish system. Lake Siskiyou campground was full of trees.

The technology is getting better. When the range on these aircards gets to be where they claim it will be, we will toss the tripod system for the new cards. These new cards fit the needs for most internet users. We are looking forward to the day when they will replace the tripod-satellite dish setup procedures. For our needs, the aircard just isn't there, yet. We are hopeful that technology will catch up with our needs.

No, we cannot use our satellite dish while driving, wish we could; that is definitely an advantage for the aircard. Our monthly cost is the same as yours, $59.95.

None of these systems are perfect for everyone, each use and application should be purchased with thought in how and where you are going to use them.
simonsrf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2007, 07:14 AM   #8
traveltunes
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: travel
Posts: 146
M.O.C. #6877
DonnAnnie:
We have had great reception in all of the states you see on our map. We cannot speak for any other states except those. It is the best way for us when we travel. We use it when we log into our online bamking because its more secure than using the CG wi-fi (unsecured)connection. We Love it!Love it!Love it!
traveltunes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2007, 07:45 AM   #9
bsmeaton
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Lone Tree
Posts: 5,615
M.O.C. #6109
Even though the aircard service has improved over the years, it still has holes in coverage. I just helped a friend install a data storm dish on his house west of Denver in the foothills. It's located in a canyon that gets absolutely no cell service, yet he is only a few miles from town. This canyon shows as a full coverage area for Verizon, but that's only for the guys on top of the hill.

The data storm dish was his only option for high speed internet. As big and ugly as that dish is, I just don't remember getting any overhelming ego or prestige satisfaction Orv! In fact it was a pain in the butt to install and I'm sure he would much rather have used an aircard .
bsmeaton is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2007, 09:46 AM   #10
traveltunes
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: travel
Posts: 146
M.O.C. #6877
We have a man here in the park that operates his satellite business out of his coach (Internet Anywhere). One of my neighbors had a Data Storm installed and I told him about my Aircard and he looked at me as if I had fire coming out of my ears. I really don't think he knew what I was talking about. Unfortunately, he only stayed one night and I didn't get a chance to confirm if he really knew about the aircard. I understand most people have done their research about these things but for those who haven't; I just wanted to keep everyone aware that there is other options for internet. I know some people have unlimited budgets, but for some of us, we want to save as much as we can and still have the convenience of internet (almost) anywhere.
traveltunes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2007, 11:47 AM   #11
adelmoll
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Silver Springs
Posts: 2,873
M.O.C. #2716
You are so right Brad. Different strokes for different folks. As fulltimers, we have many friends that use the Data Storm and they are very happy with it. I will say though that just about a week ago I got a call on my cell from friends that have the portable dish. They used it for both their internet and their TV. When they called they were at a Verizon store and were asking me questions on which card we used. I later talked to them and asked what they went with and they did buy the Verizon Air Card but were waiting until they got to a place that they could get delivery of the router. When I asked them why they were switching they said that for one, it was hard to find the satellite lots of the time but the biggest reason was because there were so many nights on the road that they were just staying for the night and it was a real pain for what they went through. They work on the road so a lot of the time they are just going from one job to another and don't have the luxury of staying for long periods en route. (Poor guys. But I can't feel that sorry for them since they are in their early 50's)
adelmoll is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2007, 12:25 PM   #12
Dave e Victoria
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Glendale
Posts: 1,219
M.O.C. #635
We loaded up the Cingular Air-card before our most recent trip. Generally pretty good although not as reliable or as fast as our DSL at home base. If we have cell service, it seems to work well. However there are holes liked at Dimondale MI, a suburb of Lansing.

Last year in Canada, one of our tour group had The Data Storm System. When we got north of Nova Scotia, there were many places where he could not get Satellite reception as it was too low on thed southern horizon. At thde samde time, we had cell phone recedption and I suspect we would have had an internet connect. None of the campgrounds had any connection. We did get Wifi on some of the larger ferries.

So, all of tghe systems have the goods and the not so goods. Sort of like TV's it is largely a matter of personal choice
Dave
Dave e Victoria is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2007, 03:58 PM   #13
bigmurf
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Sunshine
Posts: 1,445
M.O.C. #538
The reason they have giant Data Storm dishes is because the small dishes won't work. lol
bigmurf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2007, 05:32 PM   #14
Trailer Trash 2
Montana Master
 
Trailer Trash 2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Santa Fe Springs
Posts: 4,189
M.O.C. #639
BIGGER is always better, so I was told. but I have a small dish.
I have always wondered how and if the roof has to be strengthened, there is a lot of wind surface area up there when that thing is up.
__________________
Pulling a 2004, 2980 RL an oldie but goodie.
Tow vehicle is a 2009 RED RAM 3500 DRW.
Trailer Trash 2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2007, 06:19 PM   #15
fulltimedreamer
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Cumming
Posts: 2,820
M.O.C. #919
There are situations that a satellite dish is the only solution. In the aftermath of Katrina the cell towers were out for several weeks. We were able to take a tripod based Hughesnet system into the affected area to help folks with registering with FEMA, contacting family, etc. In that situation an aircard would be useless. As stated above, if you are away from major cities or interstates the only 100% reliable connection is a satellite dish.
fulltimedreamer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2007, 09:22 AM   #16
exav8tr
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Casa Grande
Posts: 5,369
M.O.C. #6333
I have the Verizon air card and the last two CG's we have been in have had no service available. Chinook Bend Or, and Tillamook, OR. Seaside OR next and a call to 3G.com will produce a amp and antenna for it. WiFi in camp office both places, but not nearly as convenient as in the TT.
exav8tr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2007, 08:17 PM   #17
traveltunes
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: travel
Posts: 146
M.O.C. #6877
pparamore: Do you have the exact same card as us? We have used ours in Seaside for couple days recently and didn't have any trouble.
traveltunes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2007, 04:02 PM   #18
snfexpress
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: South
Posts: 2,499
M.O.C. #5140
Glenn and Phil,

An externally mounted antenna would greatly increase your ability to connect to the Internet. I drilled a hole through the wall in the cabinet above the TV. I then mounted a non-groundplane Wilson Trucker Antenna with spring to the slide topper mount. In some places, where we couldn't use our cell phones, we could connect to the Internet through the KR-1 router with Verizon and the external antenna.
snfexpress is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Roof Mounted Satellite Dish hunts800 General Discussions about our Montanas 14 06-05-2011 03:02 PM
Woke up the sleeping giant..... Ozz General Discussions about our Montanas 25 10-31-2010 08:14 AM
Roof Mount Satellite Dish Mudchief Additions & Improvements 8 10-11-2007 02:54 AM
Roof mounted Satellite dish RMccord Additions & Improvements 25 10-28-2006 04:02 PM
Roof Mount Satellite Dish Montana_3150 Montana Problems, Problem Solving & Technical Help 6 08-02-2005 06:23 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Montana RV, Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:18 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.